Restaurateurs and hoteliers in Quebec are heaving a sigh of relief, because the wave of cancellations which were feared in the midst of the tourist recovery seems to have been avoided, at least for the moment.
On the contrary, owners were rather satisfied with the traffic observed on Saturday, particularly on Grande Allée, where families were not deprived of the Quebec Carnival.
Moreover, they did not note any trouble related to the mobilization of convoys.
Optimism
At the Le Concorde hotel, which has more than 400 rooms, it is even full for the weekend. Even if the telephone is not ringing due to calls from customers who are concerned or looking for information, the very family-oriented clientele is there.
“People wanted to go out,” analyzes the co-owner, Manon Fortin, who says she is satisfied with the supervision provided by the police and municipal services.
Photo Dominique Lelievre
Jonathan Ollat, Grande Allée promotion action
The president of Action promotion Grande Allée, Jonathan Ollat, is also optimistic.
“Bookings are going well. Saturday night [vendredi]it was a very beautiful evening. […] Tonight [samedi], we expect at least the same thing. With the capacity of 50%, it is certain that we will end up filling up, ”said the one who is also co-owner of the restaurants L’Atelier and Ophelia.
“Friday evening, we still had a few cancellations. It was quieter than we would have liked, but better than what we expected,” summed up, for his part, Christopher Chouinard, owner of the Grand Café.
Losses
Manna, on the other hand, does not benefit everyone. At the Auberge JA Moisan, a small four-room establishment, the demonstrations have chilled several distant visitors. It’s a blow all the harder since this clientele tends to stay for a long time.
“I had clients from the United States, clients as close to Montreal and the Maritimes. They all canceled. They asked us to postpone until next week depending on the situation, but next week I already had reservations, ”says the owner, Donna Willett.
For its part, the Association hôtelière de la region de Québec has drawn up a relatively encouraging initial assessment.
“What my members are saying is that overall everyone is very respectful. […] We want it to continue. We don’t want it to become like Ottawa. I don’t think anyone wants that, ”says its acting director general, André Roy.
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Reference-www.journaldequebec.com